Not a Witch
by AtarahPern
Summary: The boys stumble into the home of a healer. Dean careless takes a drink from the fridge that has some fun consequences. Rated T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

"I am not a witch." No matter how many times Lauren said it, still people insisted on calling her that. "Witches call on the powers of darkness to aid them in their work. I just know what I'm doing." And she did, from healing poultices to simple herbal remedies, her work was highly respected by those she shared it with. Lauren's back yard was a flourishing herb garden and there was a greenhouse window in her kitchen for herbs that were more fragile and required special attention. Everything she knew had been handed down to her from her grandmother who had also had a gift for healing. Along with the knowledge, Lauren's grandmother had made certain to impress upon her that this ability was feared by many people and often associated with dangerous witches, and as such should only be shared with those that would truly appreciate it. Only they would keep her secret and keep her safe. While Lauren might slip sometimes and give a healing concoction to a neighborhood child she'd become fond of, the only ones who knew her secret were those used to keeping their own secrets. And no one kept a secret better than supernatural hunters.

It made for an interesting life in her otherwise sleepy small town to see hunters. Lauren's home was rural enough that her visitors could easily slip in unnoticed, but not so far out of the way to make it difficult to get to in a hurry if there was an emergency. She rarely knew ahead of time that they were coming and they often presented interesting challenges. Sometimes the hunters just needed a safe place to stay for the night, and Lauren had plenty of room for them to crash.

One evening she was watching tv when her dog suddenly picked his head up off her lap and started growling. Lauren frowned as she studied him. It wasn't normal for Bear to get agitated by visitors. He greeted most hunters at the door with an excited, wiggling dance. The only time he acted unwelcoming was with solicitors. How he knew the difference, Lauren couldn't guess, but she trusted that if Bear was anxious that she should be on her guard.

As she rose from her seat, a stranger burst in her front door, slamming it shut behind him and looking out the window beside it. "Keep that dog quiet!" He shouted at Lauren, pointing a knife towards her and Bear, who had begun barking angrily. She heard the man swear as she heard someone else charging onto her porch. In an instant the man had come into the living room and grabbed her arm, kicking at Bear when he tried to bite him. Two other men burst through the door and a shouting match ensued. Lauren was too stunned to really catch anything they were saying as the man behind her used her as a shield. Bear finally found an opening and bit the man's leg. In hurt and anger the man pushed Lauren towards Bear so hard that she fell, hitting her head against a table and falling into darkness.

Sometime much later, Lauren woke with a terrible headache. "Take it easy." A soft voice said from her left side. She didn't dare to open her eyes at first but she could tell that she was lying on a bed and she felt a heaviness on her head that could only be bandages. Surprisingly someone was holding tightly to her right hand. From that side she head a voice asking fearfully, "Do you think she'll be okay?"

"For the hundredth time, yes Dean." Came the voice on her left a little impatiently. "I don't know why you're so worked up about this, we've seen way worse injuries! Heck we've _had_ way worse injuries!"

Lauren opened her eyes then, and raised her free hand to feel her head. "Good thing you keep a generous supply of medical supplies. We were able to avoid taking you to the hospital and all the questions there would have been." The man on her left explained. He was interrupted by Bear who put his front paws on the man's lap in an effort to get closer to his mistress. Lauren smiled and patted the dog's head. "See I told you I'd take good care of her." The man ruffled the dog's fur and then looked back at Lauren. "I'm Sam, and this is Dean." Lauren looked over at the other man who was giving her the dopiest smile as Sam continued talking. "We're with the FBI and the man who attacked you…"

"You're hunters." Lauren corrected him and then looked back at his started face. "And I'm a healer. My name is Lauren, and I know what you are because Bear has a special knack for hunters. And I really don't want to know about whatever you were chasing last night."

"Oh." Sam took a moment to reply as he took in this knowledge. "Cool."

"It is _so_ great that you know the truth." Dean said happily.

Lauren studied him for a minute and then sighed. "Did you drink from a bottle in the back of the fridge?"

"Yeah, that was the worst pink lemonade I've ever had!" Dean shook his head. "It must have been back there for ages!"

With an eyeroll, Lauren looked at Sam. "And you didn't have any, I take it?"

"Just water, why?" Sam asked warily.

Lauren smiled at Dean and squeezed his hand. "Never drink anything in the fridge without asking me first, okay?" After he nodded, she asked, "Could you go get me some water, please?" After he left, she turned to Sam. "It won't hurt him, but he drank a love potion. I made it on a dare from some hunters I met a while ago."

Sam shook his head and chuckled. "That explains why he's being so weird. How long will it last?"

"I only made a few bottles. It's been different for each person that tried it, but the longest lasted two weeks. I'll have a better idea as he goes through the different stages. Right now he's firmly in stage one, which is complete adoration. It can get a little awkward." She stopped as Dean came back into the room with her water. "Thank you." She said as struggled to sit up. The room spun a bit as she raised her head and she groaned.

Dean was instantly beside her, with an arm around her shoulders, supporting her. He handed the glass of water to Sam. "I think you'd be more comfortable in the recliner." He gently lifted Lauren and carefully carried her into the living room and got her settled. "Better sweetheart?" Dean stared into her eyes as he asked.

"Yes thank you." Lauren smiled back, thinking that she was going to have a hard time not falling in love with this handsome man with such beautiful eyes as he cared for her constantly.


	2. Chapter 2

"Dean!" Lauren shrieked in surprise as she stepped out of the tub and found him holding her towel. She quickly reached for the towel, but he held it away as his eyes wandered over her body. Lauren groaned inwardly even though she knew that because of the love potion he would only see her as beautiful.

"You look amazing!" Dean said huskily as he wrapped the towel and his arms around her. He ducked his head to lick a drop of water sliding down her neck. "If I can get Sam to leave us alone for awhile…" He trailed off suggestively.

"That would be moving a little too fast for me." Lauren pulled back from him slightly, though she had to admit privately that she found the thought of slipping into bed with the handsome hunter more than interesting. "I think I should give my head a little more time before I do anything that strenuous." She added to relieve the hurt she saw in his eyes. "You are very tempting though."

"Wait 'til I turn on the charm." He raised his eyebrows and tightened his grip on her before kissing her.

Good thing I have a headache. Lauren thought. It would be way too easy to be swept away by this man. "A girl could get used to that." She said when the kiss ended and leaned her head against Dean's shoulder. For just a moment she let herself enjoy being held by him.

"What are you doing?" Sam stood in the doorway. "I thought you were getting ready to go on a food run?"

"Sorry, bro. Got distracted by my girl." Dean answered smugly.

"Well now your clothes are all wet, and I gotta wait for you to change."

"Okay, okay, I'm going." Dean grinned at Lauren and kissed her forehead. "Be back soon, baby."

Once Dean was down the hallway, Sam glared at Lauren. "Why are you playing with him?"

"I'm not playing with him. I'm playing along." She answered as she grabbed another towel to dry her hair. "You have no idea how badly it would hurt him if I rejected him right now."

"And in the long run?" Sam asked still angry.

"I'll be the one that gets hurt." Lauren answered softly, hoping that Sam would drop it.

Of course he didn't. He leaned against the doorframe, and asked. "How many times have you been through this?"

Lauren sighed, knowing he wanted more than just a simple answer. "Like I said it started as a joke, a hunter was bored and reading through one of my old herbal recipe books. He came across the potion and dared me to try it out. So I made a batch, it made about a dozen bottles. There'd been a bad snow storm and this was the closest safe haven so there was a small group staying here. No one expected it to actually work and I still don't really understand why it does. A few of them decided to try it. I didn't participate so I watched it play out… the first stage where they can't get enough of each other, and the second stage where they're still in love but not so insatiable, and the third where they're coming out of it and very confused…" She closed her eyes. "And the fourth where they can't stand the person they fell in love with." Lauren let her voice trail off as she remembered how badly some friendships had been broken.

"I'm sorry." Sam said quietly.

With a deep breath, Lauren looked up. "I should have dumped the rest of it down the drain, but someone thought it might be useful on a hunt so I shoved the remaining bottles in the back of the fridge. Maybe I should label them." She looked away from Sam again. "So Dean doesn't know what's going on and I don't want to disappoint him, so I'm playing along. Good thing it's just for a few days because I don't want to enjoy the attention too much." Lauren shook her head and smiled ruefully. "He doesn't make that easy though, being drop-dead gorgeous!"

The object of their discussion returned just then. "Who's gorgeous?"

Lauren let her eyes wander over his outfit from the tight shirt that showed off his muscles to the loose jacket framing those strong shoulders down to the worn jeans that hugged his body just right. She looked up to see his eyes laughing at her appraisal and smiled back. "If you looked in the mirror just now, you'd know the answer to that." Then she shook her head. "Now if the two of you would get out of here and quit distracting me, I'd love to get dressed myself!"

Sam laughed and bumped his shoulder against Dean's. "You heard the lady. Come on."

"See you soon love." Dean blew Lauren a kiss and winked before walking after Sam.

As she stood there, Lauren's smile slowly faded. Yes indeed, losing him was going to suck.


	3. Chapter 3

Lauren stared out the window as she washed the dishes. It was a beautiful spring day outside and the sun was falling just perfectly through the trees. Then she felt Dean wrap his arms around her waist and bury his face against the back of her neck. It was a swoon-worthy moment if ever there was one. Hers was a lonely life, never knowing who she could trust with not only her secret, but that of the hunters that came to her as well. She imagined she would grow old alone unless she ran across a hunter who was ready to give up that hard life, but those who were born to the life would never stop fighting that darkness. The best she could hope for was that a hunter would be injured badly enough not to work anymore but still be young enough for her, and she wouldn't wish that on any of the young men she met. The thought pushed into her mind of Dean in a wheelchair, his proud ego reduced to frustrated need. No she wouldn't want that for him ever, even if it meant she could keep him for herself. She put her arms on his and leaned back against him.

"I remember my mom standing washing the dishes and my dad would come up and hug her." Dean said quietly, resting his head against hers. "I remember how happy they were. It was just before Sam was born." His hand moved down and he spread his fingers across her stomach. "Some days I envy them." He didn't have to explain, Lauren knew the random wanderings of a hunter left little room for a normal family life. Some of them tried, but what they achieved was hard work.

The peaceful moment was shattered as Sam strolled into the room. He was talking on the phone. "Yeah, I'll tell him now." Sam hung up the call and looked at Dean and Lauren standing together and rolled his eyes. "If you can tear yourself away there's a guy who needs our help. He's only about 20 miles up the road and his partner got killed last night when they went after a werewolf."

"Of course you'll go help him!" Lauren said before Dean had a chance to protest. Which she knew he would unless he was working on the second stage of his infatuation. "You can't deny help to someone who needs it so badly. While you guys are gone I'll do some cleaning. Maybe I'll even get the rest of your nasty clothes washed." She laughed. "Just give me a call when you're wrapping up, okay?"

Dean raised an eyebrow. "My clothes aren't nasty, you must mean Sam's." He chuckled. "Okay sweetheart, we'll see you later." He kissed her quickly and they left.

Lauren watched through the window as the Impala roared away. She decided he must be in stage 2 to be able to leave so easily. With a shrug of her shoulders she went back to her chores and tried not to think of the incredible man she couldn't keep.

Hours later she got a text from Dean – Love you, looks like we're going to be here all night. Sorry, I'll keep you posted. The house was clean, the wash was done, although there were some stubborn stains that refused to come out, and she'd even made cookies. Eventually she went to bed praying for the boys' safety until she stopped fretting and fell asleep.

"Morning beautiful." A soft voice woke her as arms slipped around her and then there was someone laying beside her.

Lauren opened her eyes just as Dean leaned in and kissed her. "What a way to wake up." Lauren smiled at Dean, then she frowned as she saw cuts and faint bruises. "Are you okay?"

"You should see the other guy." Dean chuckled. "Seriously though, the guy we brought back with us could use your help." He yawned. "I'll be fine after a shower and some shut-eye." He sat up, allowing her to get up.

Moving to her dresser, Lauren took out clothes and then looked over to see Dean watching her. "Are you even going to look away so I can get dressed?"

"Nope." Dean answered with a smirk.

Sighing to herself, Lauren dressed quickly, trying not to give Dean too much of a show. She looked back over at him to see that he was fighting his eyelids. "Go on, go get cleaned up and get to bed." She said with an affectionate smile before going to check on her new guest.

Her new guest turned out to be one she already knew. "Hello, Jimmy. I hear you need a bit of my help." She sat on the bed beside the older man and looked him over, noting a torn sheet wrapped around his waist.

"Yeah Lor, got me a good scratch night before last. It was a bad fight." He closed his eyes and lay back against the pillow. "Mike didn't make it."

"I'm sorry Jimmy." Lauren answered soothingly. "You guys have hunted together a long time."

"About time for me to give it up, I think. Getting too old, too slow." He grunted. "Watching those two young bucks last night made me feel ancient."

"Well let's get you fixed up and then you can go find that retired schoolteacher you're always talking about." She smiled at him and went for her supplies. When she removed the wrap, she saw that the 'scratch' was fairly deep, but clean. Deftly she placed a few stitches and then covered the whole wound with an ointment that would speed healing and leave hardly any scar. By the time she finished securing the new bandage, Jimmy was asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

"I'm feeling good enough to be moving on, I think." Jimmy announced after dinner.

Lauren chuckled. "Yeah, you'll live." She grabbed an empty dish and put it in the sink. "Are you going to take my advice?"

Jimmy sighed. "It's time I think. If I keep going I'll just end up like poor Mike. Maybe if I retire I'll live long enough to pass on some of what I've learned to someone else."

"That would be good." Sam piped up. "I know there've been times when we had to turn to someone and find out how to fight a new creature."

"The only regret I have is that I never got to start a family." Jimmy shook his head. "I'll never hold my own babe."

Lauren put a hand on his arm. "It's not too late for a wife though. You go find your happily ever after."

Jimmy nodded. "I'll do my best. Thanks girly." He stood and hugged her. Then he turned to the brothers and held out his hand. "Thanks for coming to my rescue, boys. Best of luck."

After Jimmy left, the three were each lost in their own thoughts for a moment. Lauren sighed softly. "You guys want a piece of cake?"

"Sure." Sam said, carrying his dinner plate and Jimmy's over to the sink.

"No thanks." Dean said. "Think I'm going to go clean my gun."

Still standing near the table, Lauren watched Dean carefully as he walked away. Finally she took a deep breath and grabbed another dish, turning to find Sam watching her. "What?" He asked.

"I think we're into stage 3." She answered sadly.

"What does stage 3 involve?" Sam took the dishes from her and put them in the sink.

"It's kind of like waking up from a good dream. You still feel kind of happy, but reality is trying to poke into your thoughts. And you end up just feeling dazed and confused. Not really in love anymore, but trying not to let those feelings go." She turned to clear the rest of the table. "He will probably keep to himself, or maybe want to have a heart to heart with you. But he's done with me, and when you suggest getting back out on the road to clear his head, he'll be happy to go along with it." She took a deep breath, swallowing all the hurt that threatened to take over her. If only she had know that the kiss that woke her up that morning was really a goodbye kiss she might have savored it more. "And when he's ready to go, you shouldn't wait long because I'd rather not see stage 4."

"Stage 4 is that bad?" Sam asked gently.

"It'll be fine for you. But if you're still here it will be bad for me. All the confusion turns to anger at the person you were in love with. He's going to hate me with ever fiber of his being."

"You don't think he'd actually hurt you?" Sam said.

Lauren shrugged. "There's really no way to know. But he's at least going to be as nasty to me as he can." She closed her eyes against the pain that filled her heart. "Do me a favor and take my number out of his phone before you go too."

Sam stood quietly for a minute. "I'll go talk to him."

Lauren strained her ears trying to hear the guys talking in the other room. Every now and then she'd hear their voices but never caught the words they said. As she put the last clean dish away, Sam returned. "We'll leave in the morning."

"I'll make some sandwiches to take for lunch." Lauren said dully.

"Thanks." Sam said. "For everything." Then he went to pack up.

As she wrapped up sandwiches and cookies and filled some empty water bottles with sweet tea, Lauren felt dead inside. She was mad at herself for falling for Dean when she knew it wouldn't last. But it had been so nice to be loved! Now it was over and life would go back to normal. More or less. Definitely less.

In the morning Lauren got up early and made the boys a good breakfast. They ate quietly, but Lauren was glad to see that Dean wasn't agitated with her yet. When they were done eating the boys packed the car. Sam came back alone to grab the lunch that Lauren had packed. "He's not sure how to say goodbye so he's not going to." He told her apologetically.

With a shrug, Lauren handed him the stuffed cooler. "That's about what I expected."

"I'm sorry." Sam said and put the cooler down to hug her. "In a few weeks I'll tell him all about it. He owes you big time." He looked back out the door. "Right before we met you we were going through some really dark stuff, Dean especially. I can't begin to tell you how bad he got." A shadow crossed his face as he remembered. "Falling in love with you was the best thing that could have happened. It gave him some peace and hope again." He hugged her again.

"Happy to be of service." Lauren laughed and hugged him back. "Call me if you need healer help and you guys are always welcome to stay over if you're hunting nearby." Sam nodded and stepped back. Lauren followed him out to the porch and stood holding Bear back and waved as they pulled away.


	5. Chapter 5

It was with an overwhelming sense of deja vu that Lauren set the bowl of chips on the table and joined the group sprawled around the living room. Another storm was threatening and several hunters were again seeking shelter in her home. It was a fun time hearing all the stories which in the safety of her home turned from life and death struggles to exciting escapades.

"Hey Lauren! Truth or Dare?!" Came a shout across the room.

"After the last time you dared me Dale?" Lauren wasn't the only one who laughed as many knew the story of the love potion. Lauren had been very happy to see some of the same hunters from that time come to her home today with their friendships restored. "I think I'm safer with Truth!" As she called out, Lauren felt a cold chill from the door opening in the other room, but Bear wasn't barking so she figured she'd play her turn of the game before she went to see who else had come.

The hunter smirked back. "Fine then, have you used the potion for your own advantage?" A chorus of "Ooh" filled the room and everyone quieted to hear her answer.

"Not on purpose." Lauren sighed. "Someone was careless enough to get a drink from the fridge without asking me first." More laughter, then several of them called out questions, was he good looking? Did she take advantage of it? Where was he now?

Lauren shook her head but smiled. "He was extremely good looking, no I didn't sleep with him, and I don't know where he is because he hasn't spoken to me since." That wasn't entirely true, she did have a vague idea where he was because she heard from Sam on a fairly regular basis.

"Don't worry on that score." A female hunter named Donna spoke up. She punched Dale playfully on the shoulder. "If I can forgive this lug for all that we went through when we tried that potion, your 'boyfriend' will get over it too."

"That'd be nice." Lauren stood and turned to go into the other room, as much to escape the conversation as to see who else had been blow in by the storm. She nearly ran right into her new guests, and in trying not to, stumbled. She would have fallen if not for the strong arm that grabbed her and kept her upright.

"Careful." Came that sweet soft voice that haunted her dreams. "Wouldn't want you to fall and hit your head again, would we?"

"Thanks." Lauren stammered, knowing that she must be blushing like a fool, heck, she felt like a fool. She cleared her throat and smiled, looking at Bear because that was a safe direction and said. "Let me find you guys a place to chuck your gear." Lauren brushed past them and led the way to the one room that she knew wasn't already taken. "Good thing I cleaned out all the rooms, this one's the last one left." She opened the door to the room she'd had built in the basement. It was insulated and dry. "There's no bedframes, but at least there's mattresses, and a dresser if you want to unpack a little." She finally turned to look behind her and saw that Sam was the only one standing there. With a glance behind him to make sure Dean wasn't around, she asked, "How's he doing?"

"So much better." Sam smiled broadly. "Even when it was wearing off and he was furious with you, he was still more like his old self than he'd been in a long time." Then he looked back at Lauren and chuckled. "I'm afraid you were referred to as The Witch for several weeks."

Lauren rolled her eyes. "The one name I hate."

"There were more, just not anything I'll repeat." Sam shrugged.

With a tilt of her head, she studied Sam and then raised an eyebrow. "How're you?"

"Beat." He answered. "I was doing the last driving leg, and it's really not very nice out there already." He pulled his shirt sleeve up. "Anyway, do you have something I could put on this?" He revealed an oozing angry cut.

"That's a pretty good one." Lauren took a hold of his arm and got a closer look at it.

"Yeah. It was a little too fast for me." Sam turned his head as Dean joined them.

"You've come to the right place then. I have a special ointment that works well on scrapes." She looked up at Dean. "Anything for you?"

Dean smirked. "Nothing that a cold beer, a hot woman, and a soft bed couldn't cure."

That sounded like the Dean she'd heard so much about. "You'll have to take your chances with the first two upstairs, and these are the last beds I've got but I think you'll find them soft enough." She left the room to fetch the ointment. On her way she reflected on how different Dean had been the first time she'd met him. She supposed it was just as well. If she couldn't keep him, it made it easier not to be attracted to him.

When she returned the brothers were talking quietly. "Don't mind me." She walked in briskly. "This will only take a second." She held Sam's arm and applied the ointment, then deftly wrapped a bandage over it. "There, you'll be better in no time!"

"Thanks. You must get tired of people needing you all the time." Sam smiled.

"I know I get tired of it." Dean scowled. He stretched with a groan.

"Tired, yes sometimes, but I'm a healer; the more damaged a person is, the more I want them here." Lauren's smile fell. "I have lost a few patients in my time." She sighed and shook her head. "It breaks my heart every time, but I haven't stopped trying yet." Then she chuckled. "Hunters make the worst patients. Won't take their medicine, won't stay in bed, and constantly complain! But they keep coming back for more, so I must be doing something right." She turned to look at Sam. "At any rate dinner's in about an hour. Don't be late. Joe's here and he loves my meatloaf."


	6. Chapter 6

"So what's the name of the hunter foolish enough to help themselves to a healer's concoctions?" Dale asked loudly across the table at dinner.

Lauren set her fork down and made sure she didn't make eye contact with anyone besides Dale when she looked up. "You mean besides you?"

Beside him, Donna laughed. "I don't think she wants to tell."

"And she shouldn't have to." Said another girl named Meg. "Come on guys, I think you can agree that potion made things pretty awkward for everyone. Lauren said she hasn't heard from him so I doubt she wants to talk about him."

"What are you guys going on about?" An older man named Joe asked.

"To make a long story short… a bunch of us were trapped here for a while. There was a bad snowstorm, trees down in the road, just nasty stuff. When we got bored we; OKAY STOP POKING ME!" Dale shouted and rolled his eyes at Donna. "I mean I asked Lauren to make a love potion. And a bunch of us tried it out. It didn't work out so well for some people."

Meg snorted. "Some people lost their hunting partners." She crossed her arms and frowned. "Things were never right between Steve and I after that." She turned to Joe. "See at first you love the person like crazy, but as it wears off you hate them just as much. Some things can't be unsaid." Meg looked back at Dale. "I'm glad you and Donna made up though."

"It took a long time." Donna admitted. "We both had to say sorry a lot. We both had to forgive a lot."

"You mind if I talk to him Meg?" Dale asked. "Maybe he'll listen to someone else that went through it."

Meg nodded. "Please. I miss him."

Lauren was thankful the conversation changed then. Battles with supernatural creatures strangely enough seemed like safer topics.

After dinner, Donna joined her washing dishes. "Okay, which one was it?" She whispered.

"What?" Lauren looked up startled.

"You were avoiding those Winchester boys all night. Which one was it?"

Lauren rolled her eyes. "Oh that." She shrugged. "Not that it really matters, but it was Dean."

"Too bad. That one's a confirmed bachelor for life. You might have had a chance with Sam."

"Oh Donna, I knew I can't keep him!" She focused on the pan she was cleaning. "Hunters don't stay put, and my roots are too deep. Besides the guy who was fawning all over me is nothing like the man he is without the potion influencing him."

"No, but that guy is buried in there somewhere. That's how it was with Dale anyway. He let a lot of things free when that potion brought his walls down. Do you know he found a therapist to talk to?"

"Really?" Lauren let Donna talk on and on, talking was as much a part of Donna's personality as peace and quiet were to Lauren. But Lauren didn't really want to talk about Dean anymore. Being loved by someone had been a nice dream and she would cherish it always. She just hoped and prayed that someday there would be a man who would love her like that for real.

Much later, after everyone had gone to bed, Lauren was finishing off a dessert for the next day when she heard someone coming up the basement stairs. She turned to see Sam looking very tired and carrying a pillow and blanket. "Something wrong?" She asked as she slipped the dessert into the fridge.

"Dean found himself the cold beer and hot woman he was after and decided to take advantage of the soft bed with her." He rolled his eyes. "I'm too tired for wait them out, I'm going to crash on the couch."

Lauren shook her head. "You've seen the size of my couch. You'll never fit." She took his arm and led him down the hallway. "There is one other place you can sleep."

He stopped in the doorway. "But this is your room, I don't want to kick you out!"

"It's a queen and I usually share with Bear, but he prefers Joe when he's here. So you can have Bear's spot."

"Are you sure?" Sam looked at her skeptically.

"I think I know you well enough to bunk with you." Then she said seriously, "I trust you Sam."

Sam relaxed and smiled. "Thanks."

By the time Lauren slipped out of the bathroom from changing and brushing her teeth, Sam was stretched out comfortably. She turned off the bedside lamp and whispered. "Good night."

To her surprise, Sam sleepily rolled towards her and put an arm around her. "Sweet dreams sweetheart." He mumbled.


	7. Chapter 7

Lauren woke up from a dream where she was sitting on a rather pokey log with her back to a warm fire. As she came fully awake she realized the warmth was from Sam who was now spooning her, and the pokey log… well she supposed Dean wasn't the only one who needed a woman now and then.

For several minutes Lauren just laid there thinking over the many conversations she had had with Sam and wondering if he might actually be interested in her. Sure she felt a thrill herself whenever she got a text, and when he actually called it brightened her day and she heard his voice in her dreams. She'd known for awhile that she was crushing on him, but was it possible that he felt that way too? Did she dare hope? Maybe it was a fluke and he was a cuddler when he had a girl in his bed. How many girls had been that lucky? Scratch that, she didn't want to go there. Did he ever cuddle with Dean? She bit back a laugh and shifted slightly and felt his arm stiffen around her as he woke up. Placing her hand over his reassuringly, she whispered; "Good morning."

After a bit of hesitation, she felt Sam relax and snuggle against her again. "It's always a good morning when you wake up to a pretty girl in your arms."

A moment later, Lauren twisted onto her back so she could see him. "No spiked drinks right?"

He chuckled. "No. Just ignoring statistics and enjoying myself for a little while."

Statistics? What the plague was he talking about? "Statistics?"

"Shh, not now. I like this break from reality." He rested his head against hers and closed his eyes, smiling.

Lauren grinned and laid her hand against his chest. "Me too." She decided that she would just enjoy his attention and see if anything came out of it. A few minutes later there was a quiet knock on the door and she could hear Dean whisper "Sam?"

"He always knows how to ruin a good time." Sam murmured.

"We can continue this later if you like." Lauren slipped out of his arms and off the bed silently. "Pretend you're sleeping, I'll go out the secret way and meet him in the hall."

As quietly as she could she crept out of the secret door that led into her pantry. Then she stepped out of the pantry and came into the hall behind Dean. "Did you need me for something?"

"I was looking for Sam. Do you know where he is?"

"I let him have my bed, he won't fit on the couch." She turned and knocked on the door. "It's about time he got up though so I can get dressed."

"And after everyone's dressed and had breakfast, we'll try clearing the driveway." Dale said as he walked past them.

Lauren smiled at him. "I'll be in the kitchen in a jiffy."

"No hurry, Donna's already starting pancakes, and I turned the coffee on." Dale said over his shoulder.

"Careful, I'm gonna get spoiled!" She shouted after him. Lauren opened her door to find Sam still in the bed. "Morning sleepyhead."

"Hmm, best sleep I've had in ages." Sam smiled, barely opening his eyes.

"Well it's time to get up." Dean bounced on the corner of the bed. "Apparently we're all shoveling snow then we can see if we can back on the road.

"What's your hurry?" Sam said as he sat up. Lauren didn't hear Dean's answer as she slipped back out of the room with her clothes. But she said a quick prayer for more snow as she went on her way.

The topic of conversation at breakfast started with how good the coffee was and continued as stories of the best place to stop for coffee and the best diners across the country. Several of the hunters took out their phones to make notes. After breakfast Donna and Meg helped Lauren with the dishes while everyone else bundled up and went outside.

"Too bad winter coats are so bulky." Donna remarked as she looked out the window while drying dishes. "We are missing a perfect show of all those muscles getting a workout."

Meg laughed. "Maybe we have to find an excuse for everyone to meet here in the summer and get some work done. Maybe dig a pool or something."

"I would like a pool." Lauren grinned back and joined the other two at the window. Her eyes were drawn to Sam who at the moment was lifting an impressive pile of snow. After seeing him without a shirt that morning, it wasn't hard to imagine the muscles beneath his coat.

"Oh no!" Donna said as Dean tossed a snowball directly at his brother's head. A fight broke out immediately and it didn't take any time at all for the others to join it. Dale was smart and used his shovel to quickly make a fort wall. Sam dove behind it with him and started to defend Dale while it made it the wall longer and taller. Joe joined Dean taking shelter behind a hedge and making a pile of snowballs. At that point everyone else chose a side and an all out battle ensued.

A good half hour later another snowstorm whipped up making it difficult for them to continue fighting, so the group headed for the house. Lauren was waiting at the door, insisting they take off their coats and sit on the sunporch until they dried off a little. She had prepared for them by putting a couple extra heaters out and a pile of towels.

"I think I pulled something." Joe grimaced as he pulled off his soaked shirt along with his coat.

"Sit down, I'll give you a back rub." Lauren offered. "Anyone else who wants one can get in line."

"I'll help you." Meg offered and took a seat nearby.

Lauren set her massage oil between the two of them and got to work. It didn't take her long to find Joe's sore spot and work it out. After awhile she didn't even know who's back she was rubbing as they took turns, all she could see was the healing wounds and scars. She hated seeing anyone in pain and some of the scars bore silent witness to terrible trauma. When she was done she was glad she had to put her supplies away and walk away from the group for a few minutes. Then she went to cut up vegetables for soup for lunch. It was calming to decimate them with her knife and if anyone saw her tears she could blame them on the onions.


	8. Chapter 8

"You make the best desserts." Meg said with a sigh during lunch. "It's a wonder you're still single."

"The only guys I ever see are hunters, and there's two types of hunters; those that aren't very good at it and want to leave it behind so completely that they wouldn't have anything to do with me either, and those that are so good at it they won't give it up 'til it just about kills them." Lauren shook her head. "That doesn't leave me many options."

"I have a friend named Beth who lives in Kentucky and has a hunter husband." Donna said. "They have three kids and he stops by as often as he can. She told the kids he's a truck driver. It's hard to keep a marriage going being apart so much, but they found a way to make it work."

"It would be work, but it's worth it to have someplace to go and get away from hunting." Joe piped up. "I've been dating a girl for 4 years while I'm on the hunt. The best times are when I can crash with her and forget about the job for awhile." He grinned slightly and pulled a ring on a chain out of his shirt. "I'm going to ask her to marry me next time I go. We've been talking about it a few times and she'd really like to make it official even if I won't 'settle down'."

Cries of congratulations came from across the table, even a 'More power to ya, man!' from Dean while he shook his head at the other man's seeming misfortune. Lauren almost laughed, grateful that she was over her infatuation with him. Then she noticed Sam who looked very thoughtful and a little sad.

She didn't have to wonder long what was going through his head because once the excitement wore down, he spoke. "Sometimes it's not safe to get involved with a hunter." The room went dead silent. He continued, gripping his cup so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "My mom, my dad, my hunting mentor, lots of friends and nearly every girl I've ever dated; I've watched so many people that I care about die in front of me that I've lost count."

The glass suddenly shattered. Lauren was around the table in a heartbeat, grabbing Sam's hand to see the damage. "Sorry, I guess I don't know my own strength." He said sheepishly.

Lauren waved his apology away. "They're old glasses, don't worry about it." She pulled him out of his seat and over to the sink where she kept a first aid kit. Deftly she picked out tiny shards with her tweezers, and searched for more. Lauren was pleased to see that there wasn't a tremendous amount of blood and he hadn't cut anything important. "Hmm." She said as she looked in her kit. "I need something in my workroom." Without releasing Sam's wrist, she pulled him down the hallway. It was a small room past the pantry filled with herbs and bottles and bandages and anything else she had found useful. From her drawer she pulled out a bottle of ointment and some gauze.

"You didn't have those in the kitchen?" Sam asked confused.

"Of course I did." She said as she applied ointment to the cuts that had nearly stopped bleeding and wrapped his hand. "I needed to get away from everyone else." Lauren gently held his injured hand in both of hers. "I understand now what you meant this morning. About statistics. "

"I would love to stop hunting and have a family. I've come close a couple of times. And some of the girls I got close too were killed by things that hunt me." Sam shook his head. "Besides, Dean needs me. I need Dean."

"And together you are family." Lauren agreed.

With his uninjured hand Sam brushed the hair away from her face. "I'd like a larger family someday." He sighed. "But I don't know if I'll ever get that chance."

"You certainly wouldn't want to bring your wife and kids on the job with you." Lauren chuckled. "As sweet as the Impala is, she's not really big enough for all that."

Sam laughed. "No, it gets pretty cramped in there as it is when we end up sleeping in there." Then he got serious again. "But it wouldn't really be fair to leave them all the time either."

"But people do it, I mean besides hunters. People drive trucks and go off with the army, musicians and actors leave too for tours and filming. Somehow they manage to still have families." She said earnestly. "If it's something you really want you should find a way to do it."

"Even though it's not safe?" Sam asked with a pained expression. "When I'm hours away from home and a demon threatens my family because of me? How am I supposed to live with that?"

"Loving someone is always a risk." Lauren said simply. "It would be the same for your family knowing you're hours away fighting something, getting hurt."

"If he got hurt bad enough, he'd have to come back to you quicker." Lauren turned to see Dean leaning in the doorway. He strolled in and joined them. "It might be useful to have a healer in the family."

Lauren laughed. "I'm afraid the things that are wrong with you are beyond my healing abilities."

He rolled his eyes at her at turned his attention to Sam. "So bro, what's it going to be? Are we adopting her or are you dating her, because either way I think she should be considered a part of the family. Although we might need to let Cas vote too."

"You don't mind me taking your girl?" Sam teased.

Dean made a dismissive gesture. "She was my girl for what, a week? You've been talking to her for months!"

Sam looked down at Lauren and asked softly, "You're willing to take a chance on me, despite the long distance?"

"Absolutely." Lauren smiled happily as Sam kissed her.

***EPILOGUE***

"Someone's coming!" Lauren heard Andy cry excitedly. "It's them!"

The front door on the porch slammed as the preschooler ran out of the house before her. "Daddy! Uncle Dean!"

"Hey buddy!" Sam had the little boy in his arms before he even shut the car door. "You keep getting bigger!"

"That's 'cause Mommy makes me eat all my vegetables." The boy grimaced.

Dean hugged Lauren when she reached them. "Looks like Mommy has been eating her share of the vegetables too."

Lauren punched him in the shoulder and placed a hand on her swollen belly. "Matthew will be here any time now."

"I'm glad we made it back in time." Sam said as he wrapped his arms around her. "It's good to be home."

Thank you so much for all the reviews! I hope you liked how it all worked out. J


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